C. J. Phipps | |
|---|---|
 Phipps, c. 1890 | |
| Born | (1835-03-25)25 March 1835 |
| Died | 25 May 1897(1897-05-25) (aged 62) London, England |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Known for | Savoy Theatre,Gaiety Theatre |
| Spouse | |
Charles John PhippsFSA (25 March 1835 – 25 May 1897) was an English architect known for more than 50 theatres he designed in the latter half of the 19th century, including several important ones in London. He is noted for his design of theTheatre Royal, Exeter, whichcaught fire in 1887, killing 186 visitors.
Born inBath, Phipps married Honnor Hicks on 10 April 1860. The couple had two sons and three daughters.[1]
Phipps's first major work was the rebuilding ofTheatre Royal, Bath, in 1862/3, after the old theatre had been destroyed by fire. Moving to London, he quickly established himself as the leading theatrical architect, building, in rapid succession, theQueen's Theatre (1867), theGaiety Theatre (1868), theOlympic Theatre (1870) and theVaudeville Theatre (1871).[2] His early work, especially the Gaiety, inspired a youngFrank Matcham, who was impressed at Phipps's ability to build a normal-sized theatre on a small, awkward plot.[3] Phipps designed theGaiety Theatre, Dublin for John andMichael Gunn, opened in November 1871.[4] Phipps'sSavoy Theatre (1881), a state-of-the-art facility, was the first public building in the world lit entirely by electric light.[2] Other major London theatres included theStrand (1882), thePrince's (1884), theLyric (1888), the originalShaftesbury Theatre (1888), theGarrick (1889), theTivoli (1890),Daly's (1893) andHer Majesty's Theatre (1897).
In addition to Phipps's London theatres, he was responsible for over forty theatres in the provinces. He also designedLeinster Hall in Dublin for Michael Gunn (opened in 1886 and closed in 1895), theStar and Garter Hotel at Richmond (demolished in 1919) and the SavoyVictorian Turkish baths, the first in London to be lit by electricity.[5] Phipps was chosen to design theRoyal Institute of British Architects’ own premises at9 Conduit Street. The building is still there, though no longer occupied by the RIBA (now inPortland Place) and is considered by some to reflect the influence of the architect's native town. He was a fellow (1866) of the Royal Institute of British Architects, serving on its council in 1875–6, and also of theSociety of Antiquaries.[1]
Phipps died on 25 May 1897, aged 62, and is buried in a family grave on the east side ofHighgate Cemetery.
Phipps designed theTheatre Royal, Exeter, which opened in 1886.[6][7] In 1887, during a performance, a gauze curtain caught fire from a gas lamp lighting the stage. Theresulting fire claimed the lives of 186 visitors and remains the worst theatre-related disaster, and third most deadly fire in UK history.[8] There were two inquiries into the disaster, both of which placed significant blame on Phipps:
A coroner'sinquest was opened on 21 September 1887 before acoroner's jury. The magistrates who issued the premises licence had noted only a single exit from the gallery (where the majority of the deaths occurred) where there should have been two, but Phipps persuaded them that people climbing the railing at the front of the balcony and dropping to the Upper Circle below was a suitable and effective second exit. The verdict was of accidental death, but the coroner's jury found that the magistrates had been misled by Phipps and suggested that a licence should never have been issued.[8] The coroner's jury noted that asafety curtain andfire hydrant were specified in the theatre's plans, but had not yet been installed in the building. They also criticised the lack of ceiling height above the gallery, which gave people less time to escape before being overcome by smoke.[8]
A separateparliamentary inquiry was carried out by CaptainEyre Massey Shaw, the Chief Officer of theMetropolitan Fire Brigade. Shaw's report was also critical of Phipps and his design. Phipps attended the inquest and was "vigorous" and "sarcastic" in his defence of his work, pointing out that a number of elements in his plans had been changed or ignored during construction. The jury in this case also returned a verdict of accidental death. Ultimately, Shaw was able to use the results of the fire to bring about stricter theatre regulations, including the requirement for a safety curtain.[9]
Among the theatres Phipps designed, or co-designed, are:
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Waterhouse, Paul (1901). "Phipps, Charles John". InLee, Sidney (ed.).Dictionary of National Biography (1st supplement). London: Smith, Elder & Co.
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